The King’s Baton Relay visits Dumfries House
The Commonwealth Games Baton today visited Dumfries House, the headquarters of The King’s Foundation, as part of The King’s Baton Relay. The event, which took place across the 2,000-acre estate, brought together the local community to take a group photo and celebrate the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will be taking place later this month in Glasgow.
The Baton and Finnie, the official mascot for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, visited The Pierburg and Kauffman Education Garden to meet students, volunteers and the Dumfries House gardening team. At the education garden, visiting school pupils participate in the charity’s Food for the Future and Growing Together Cooking Together programmes which teach them about food waste and farm-to-fork.
Students, alumni and the local community then took part in celebrations at the maze, with music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. This year marks ten years since the start of the partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, who work with The King’s Foundation to deliver fully-funded ballet and music classes at Dumfries House.
A community photo was then taken on the Adam Bridge. The bridge, which was designed by John Adam and built in 1790, is one of the oldest structures on the estate, connecting the main house to the Arboretum and surrounding gardens. On the bridge, the baton was held by official baton bearer Siobhan Mackenzie, who is a member of The King’s Foundation 35 under 35 network and the designer of the official tartan for The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland. Last year, Siobhan visited Dumfries House as part of The King’s Foundation’s 35 anniversary celebrations and presented the Commonwealth Games tartan certificate to our Royal Founding President, His Majesty The King.
Also present at the celebrations were one of The King’s Foundation’s oldest and youngest learners, Emma Farrell (82 years old) and Stewart Cumming (6 years old), as well as Gabby, the Dumfries House Dog of the Decade.
The Commonwealth Games Baton previously visited the New Cumnock Swimming Pool, part of The King’s Foundation, in 2014 and Dumfries House in 2022 during the Queen’s Baton Relay.
“It has been wonderful to welcome The King’s Baton Relay to Dumfries House for the start of its journey around Scotland. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students and alumni, along with the local community, to get involved in the celebrations ahead of the Games later this month.”
Jacqueline Farrell, Executive Director, Education at The King’s Foundation
“Dumfries House was saved for the nation by our Royal Founding President, His Majesty The King, therefore it is fitting for us to host the baton here on the Estate, that he has helped to shape over the last 19 years.”